A Countdown To Babysitting
by Carbuncle
Summary: Aeris has to babysit little Marlene... this has disaster written all over it.


FINAL FANTASY VII  
  
A SPECIAL SERIES FOR FEBRUARY! A SPECIAL SERIES FOR FEBRUARY!   
  
'A Countdown To Babysitting'  
  
"I'm real sorry to have to dump this on you, Aeris.", sighed Barrett.  
  
"Oh, don't be silly Barrett!", Aeris smiled. "I love looking after Marlene! She's such an angel!"  
  
"Yeah, but... didn't you have plans for this evening?"  
  
"Nothing that can't be put off to spend time with my favourite little girl!", she smirked.  
  
"Aeris, you're a star! If ya ever need a favour, then just feel free to ask!", said Barrett. "Marlene! Come in here!"  
  
"What is it, daddy?", asked Marlene, as she walked into the room.  
  
"You're spendin' the night with Aunt Aeris!", he whelped.  
  
"Oh goody! I love Aunt Aeris!", giggled Marlene while leaping into Aeris's arms.  
  
"Woo! Heh, I love you too Marlene!", Aeris said.  
  
"Alright, I'll see ya tomorrow Marlene. Now you be good!", Barrett warned.  
  
"Okee!", Marlene replied.  
  
Barrett walked out the front door of Aeris's house. When he left, Marlene gave a sneaky grin.  
  
"Okay Marlene. What would you like to do first?", wondered Aeris.  
  
"Um... I wanna bake cookies!"  
  
"Cookies? Sure, that sounds like fun!", bloated Aeris while walking into the kitchen. "Now you get me some flour from the bottom drawer."  
  
"Okee!", Marlene flinched.  
  
She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a bag of flour.  
  
"Can I open it?", she questioned.  
  
"Oh no, you better let me do it.", gurgled Aeris.  
  
"I like to help!", Marlene screamed.  
  
She grabbed the top corner of the bag and ripped with all her might. The flour inside coughed out all over Aeris.  
  
"Argh!", yelled Aeris. "Why you little..."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Aunt Aeris! I'm a bad girl, aren't I?", Marlene sniffed.  
  
"...No. No you're not. Oh, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It's only flour. Let me just go have a shower and clean it off."  
  
"Okee! Can I watch TV while you're gone?", asked Marlene.  
  
"Sure. Now I'll be five minutes, alright?"  
  
Aeris marched upstairs while Marlene switched the TV on. Suddenly, the door knocked.  
  
"Come in!", screamed Marlene.  
  
It was Cloud.  
  
"Hey Marlene! How you doing? Is Aeris home?"  
  
"Hi Uncle Cloud. Yeah, she's upstairs."  
  
"Upstairs, huh? Well, I'll just go up and see her. It's kinda urgent."  
  
"Okee!", Marlene giggled.  
  
All was silent. Then all of a sudden...  
  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"  
  
"Woah!", shrieked Cloud, as he ran down the stairs. His face was as red as a tomato.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me she was in the shower?!", he yelled.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Uncle Cloud! I'm a bad girl, aren't I?, Marlene sniffed.  
  
"...No. No you're not. Oh, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. Look, just tell Aeris to come see me when she's decent."  
  
"Okee! I'll tell her!", laughed Marlene.  
  
Cloud made his way outside as Aeris came down the stairs, wearing a towel around her.  
  
"Okay Marlene, it's bedtime."  
  
"Awww! Do I have to?", she sighed.  
  
"Yes. Otherwise I might get into trouble with your daddy. Now turn off that TV."  
  
"Get bent!", she grumbled under her breath.  
  
"Alright, you go on up and I'll be there to read you a bedtime story. Would you like that?"  
  
"Yippee! I love bedtime stories!" said Marlene as she leaped out of her chair. "Can you tell me the one about the Gold Chocobo?!"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
Marlene ran upstairs. Aeris bent over to turn off the TV. However, her skin was still quite wet, and when her hand came into contact with the knob, disaster struck. Sparks flew everywhere as the electrical current shot through her frail body.  
  
"Aunt Aeris?", Marlene called from upstairs.  
  
She peeped over the staircase and saw Aeris lying on the floor.  
  
"Oh my God! Aunt Aeris!", she screamed as she ran to her aid. "It's a good thing Uncle Cloud taught me C.P.R!"  
  
Marlene performed mouth to mouth on Aeris. The ancient gave a cough as she awoke.  
  
"Aunt Aeris! You're alive!"  
  
"Huh?", Aeris choked. "Oh yeah... Say, thanks Marlene!"  
  
"Okee! No problem!", Marlene giggled as she hugged Aeris.  
  
THE END__________ 


End file.
